I’m a writer — obviously — and I’m usually on it. But I must admit, for a good part of the early 2000s, I was an artist myself, slugging it out in the studio, flipping through beat tapes, combing record shops for rare 90s instrumentals, and getting lit [before lit was such a cheesy overused term]. I also, as hard as I tried, missed out on some arguably essential musical phenomenon. One such universally, and critically hailed, highlight was The Avalanches’ Since I Left You, a 3500 sample melting pot of hip-hop, EDM, and soul infused art hailed as one of the top 10 albums of the decade. Rightfully so — The Australian export was a hungry crate digger’s dream. A thought provoking soundtrack to a sweaty summer night.
How the fudge did I miss it?
Well, I caught up — and have spent the better part of the month enjoying their (long awaited) follow-up, Wildflower. It’s quite literally the best listening experience you’ll have this month. It’s hip-hop, it’s classic samples, it’s upbeat — it’s perfect. Off the bat, if you only have time for one [3:44] listen, pop on track three, “Frankie Sinatra,” featuring Detroit swag-god, Danny Brown, and the incomparable MF Doom. Danny also appears on “The Wozard Of Iz.” Other guests include the diabolical Biz Markie, delivering his usual level of bizarre Biz-ness on “The Noisy Eater,” and the “Lucini” duo, Camp-Lo, on the soulful 70s “Because I’m Me.”
To understand the work that went into this album is to know the love and care that the group puts into their craft. Recorded over the period 16 years, amongst illness, [inner] comings and goings, sample clearance issues, and a lack of rumors, the album is a masterpiece, and one of the finest examples of plunderphonics you’re likely to find. If you’re a fan of producers like J.Rocc, you need to get up on this album — immediately.
Bonus, this mash-up video is insane.
